Classic Lasagna

This classic lasagna recipe delivers layers of perfectly seasoned meat sauce, creamy ricotta, and gooey mozzarella that’ll make your kitchen smell like an Italian grandmother’s on Sunday afternoon.

What makes this version special? It’s all in the details – from the wine-enriched sauce to the cream cheese-enriched ricotta filling that stays incredibly smooth and creamy. Plus, the no-boil noodles make assembly a breeze while still giving you that perfect al dente texture.

Ingredients

For the Sauce:

• 1 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
• 5 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 2 medium carrots, roughly chopped
• 1 stalk celery, roughly chopped
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1½ pounds Italian sausage
• ¾ cup dry red wine
• 1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
• ½ cup heavy cream
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1½ teaspoons dried thyme
• 2 bay leaves

For the Ricotta Mixture:

• 1 (15 oz.) container whole milk ricotta
• 3 oz. cream cheese
• 1 large egg
• 1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
• ¾ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ½ cup fresh basil, roughly chopped

For Assembly:

• 12 oven-ready lasagna noodles
• 16 ounces shredded whole milk mozzarella
• ¼ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Steps

1. Make the sauce base by pulsing onions, garlic, carrots, and celery in a food processor until finely minced.
2. Brown sausage in 2 tablespoons olive oil for 5 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon.
3. Cook minced vegetables in remaining oil until soft, 6-8 minutes.
4. Add wine and reduce until mostly absorbed.
5. Add tomatoes, cream, seasonings, and bay leaves. Simmer covered for 20 minutes.
6. Chop reserved sausage finely, return to sauce, and simmer 10 more minutes.
7. Make ricotta mixture by processing all ingredients except basil until smooth. Pulse in basil.
8. Layer in 13×9 pan: sauce, noodles, ricotta mixture, mozzarella. Repeat twice.
9. Top with final noodles, sauce, mozzarella and Parmigiano.
10. Bake covered at 375°F for 40 minutes, then uncovered at 400°F for 20 minutes.

Smart Swaps

• Use ground turkey instead of sausage to reduce fat
• Replace heavy cream with whole milk mixed with 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• Substitute cottage cheese (pureed until smooth) for ricotta

Make It Diabetes-Friendly

• Use whole wheat no-boil noodles (reduces carbs by 8g per serving)
• Replace sugar with monk fruit sweetener (1:1 ratio)
• Add finely diced zucchini to sauce to bulk up servings
• Portion into 12 servings instead of 8 (reduces carbs to 24g per serving)
• Serve with a side salad dressed with olive oil to slow glucose absorption

Pro Tips

• Let lasagna rest 15-20 minutes before cutting for cleaner slices
• Grate mozzarella yourself for better melting
• Make sauce 1-2 days ahead for deeper flavor